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Visual Bone


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In my other bone I gave you guys an in-depth look at the new purchasing system, but it was definitely shy on visuals. Trust me, the current UI graphics are an ugly mix between CM:SF and programmer placeholders. Blech! Which is why I'm making up for it with some screenshots.

Please understand that we have a TON of minor graphics tweaks to do. Those of you who have ever tested for us know how quickly they can be cleared up once we get to that part of the schedule. Therefore, don't worry about minor glitches and what-not because we are well aware of them and they will be fixed.

Instead you should focus on the new things in these shots:

1. Soldiers now have equipment based on the type of guy they are and what primary weapon is carried. If a guy is a radioman, he has a radio. If a guy has BAR then he has BAR ammo pouches. Etc.

2. Uniforms graphics are now capable of variation. Notice that some US infantry is wearing the older kahki colored stuff, others are wearing the olive drab stuff. 3D objects on the soldiers, such as backpack configurations, can also be varied from soldier to soldier. #1 and #2 help reduce the "Clone Soldier" problem inherent in all previous CM games.

3. The game now supports customized, purpose built buildings in order to add more flavor for lower density (especially) areas. Barns, farm houses, churches, etc. These are distinctly different from the CM:SF style "building block" type buildings, though those are also available for higher density (especially) areas. Obviously without the Middle East look :D

4. Although it is probably hard to see in these shots, we have a different way of shading the terrain. This makes it easier to see topographical differences.

5. You can also see the amount of detail and care taken making the vehicles. The Priest shot has shadows turned off to make the details easier to see. And no, the ammo racks don't deplete as shells are fired. The game is actually coded to do this, but we found a problem with that... Fog of War. We don't think you should be able to move your camera over the enemy's Marder III or M-10 so you can count how many rounds are left before deciding what to do ;) Since this is a "fluff" feature we have put it aside for another day.

A special thanks to the testers who spent time taking cool shots for me to pick from. Great stuff!

Steve

And without further ado...

Bone_Shot_1.jpg

Bone_Shot_2.jpg

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Seeing such assiduously well-built infantry and vehicle models makes my head spin with imaginings of the vast and varied number of mods folks are no doubt going to make.

Keep up the awesome work! :D

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I wonder what's on fire behind the building...

There are Shermans and there are fires.

It is thus a safe bet there are Shermans on fire. It is their typical state of being. :D

*edit*

The chances of a Sherman being on fire being explained in greater detail in this

classic post.

You've discovered a little-known WW2 tank-grog thing here that BTS, in its search for the ultimate in realism, has modeled in CM. I've been waiting to see if anybody else noticed this.

Most people assume that the M in US vehicle designations means "Model". Thus, the Medium Tank M4 Sherman would be the "Model #4" Medium tank. This is incorrect. The M actually stands for "Mortality" and the number represents the life expectancy of the vehicle in minutes. Thus, Shermans were rated officially at 4 minutes of survival in a combat situation, which is reflected accurately in CM by having them die on turn 4.

After the Sherman had been in production for some time and combat experience had been gained, it was noticed in many cases, particularly for the earlier production runs of Shermans, that the official Mortality rating was a bit optimistic. Thus, the designation was changed to reflect the new data. This involved appending the letter A and another number to the M4 designation, the A standing for "Actually" and the new number being the revised Mortality rating. For example, the M4A2 had a combat-proven life expectancy of "Actually 2" minutes.

Later on, the designation system got even more accurate by appending a number in parentheses and the letter W. Despite the widely held conviction that the parenthetical number was the caliber of the gun, what these symbols really meant was that the tank had a 75% or 76% chance of going WHOOSH in a big fireball when penetrated. However, some models of Sherman were so inflammable that calcualtions showed they had a 105% chance of brewing up, so they just left it at that and didn't bother with the W, because they were going to WHOOSH regardless.

Towards the end of the war, some Shermans gained an E and another number in their designations. The E meant "Extra Cost" and the number was a designator for the manufacturer, to ensure that company got extra money for making the tank. CM accurately reflects this by making these types of Shermans cost more to buy in DYO.

Thus, the M4A3E8(76)W designation meant a tank with an official Mortality of 4 minutes, Actually 3 minutes, cost Extra, and had a 76% chance of going WHOOSH.

------------------

-Bullethead

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heh... I just noticed that the SMG ammo pouch in the first shot is upside down! I was looking at it for a while and thinking "something's just not right about it" :)

So did I, but I hadn't gotten to the point yet of figuring out what was wrong. Nice shot of the interior of the Priest, BTW. Will we be able to watch the tachometer needle spin around when the driver guns the engine?

Michael

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heh... I just noticed that the SMG ammo pouch in the first shot is upside down!

I do believe that particular screenshot was made about 20 minutes before corrected kit art was submitted. The outer board is getting to see game Beta work in progress. :)

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The burning thing in the city street is a Jagdpanzer IV. I wasn't playing that one, but my guess is the poor little bugger was flanked. Just another reminder why fixed gun designs fell out of favor!

CM:SF has binoculars, but they weren't shown visually. They do give a spotting bonus.

Steve

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Thanks!

heh... I just noticed that the SMG ammo pouch in the first shot is upside down! I was looking at it for a while and thinking "something's just not right about it" :)

Steve

This may be a dealbreaker for me. I mean, the game is fundamentally flawed and unplayable like this. EPIC FAIL!

Seriously, you guys are the best. Life is kinda tough right now but one thing I am looking forward to is this release. Thank you for your hard work. I will buy multiple copies.

BTW Edit: The thread title is scary.

Double Edit: The thread title is even more scary with the word "Sticky" in front of it.

Also the Bullethead post (number 16) had me laughing so hard Guinness came out my nose.

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